Dagger stop for looms



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DAGGER STOP FOR LOOMS Filed Sept. 25, 1946 Patented Oct. 19, 1948 Shiliiiifi KUU M DAGGER STOP FOR LOOMS Walter J. Budzyna, East Douglas, Mass., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application September 25, 1946, Serial No. 699,301

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to protector mechanisms for automatic looms and more particularly to dagger stops for such looms.

In known automatic looms means are provided for stopping the loom and especially for stopping forward motion of the lay whenever a shuttle for any reason fails to make proper exit from the shed and proper entrance into the shuttle box. Stopping of forward motion of the lay under the mentioned circumstances is necessary so that shuttle will not be forced past the fell line of the fabric and break a portion of the warp threads.

The above mentioned stopping of the loom and lay is eifected through means including a protector mechanism comprising a. protector rod mounted in bearings on the lay for rocking movement therein. The protector rod has attached to it adjacent each shuttle box a dagger arranged for coaction, upon call therefor, with a respective frog mechanism, one of which is mounted on each loomside. The protector rod also has attached to it, either separately or through an extension of the dagger, a dagger finger which carries an adjustable bolt arranged to engage the usual shuttle binder. The protector rod is stressed by one or more springs in such fashion that the adjustable bolt is forced toward position in contact with the binder, and the relative disposition of the several parts is such that as a shuttle enters a shuttle box at either side of the loom, the respective binder is moved, moving in turn the bolt and dagger finger, thereby rocking the protector rod against the tension of the protector rod spring or springs, and simultaneously raising the daggers to positions in which each will clear its respective frog mechanism as the lay moves forwardly. Thus when a shuttle is not positioned in one of the shuttle boxes, the spring means on the protector rod is free to rock the rod and the daggers carried thereby into protecting position, i. e., in position to engage a respective frog mechanism.

In normal loom operation the shuttle enters a shuttle box at one or the other side of the loom prior to the time the lay is midway in its forward stroke or movement, causing the binder to move outwardly of the shuttle box and consequently causing rocking of the protector rod whereby the daggers are raised to positions to clear the respective frog mechanisms. All of the above mentioned structure is conventional and the operation thereof well understood by those skilled in the art.

When the loom is subjected to high-speed operation, the shuttle enters the shuttle box at a high rate of speed and consequently the binder and the protector rod mechanism comprising a dagger actuated thereby are moved at high speed. As a result, the dagger strikes the dagger stop, a rigid member secured to the lay, at high speed. To prevent breakage of either the stop or the dagger a resilient member or cushion is interposed between the dagger and the dagger stop. In prior constructions, the resilient member has been formed of a strip of leather or the like which was clamped between the dagger stop and the lay by a bolt. This method of securing the leather strip in position has proven to be objectionable since under repeated impacts of the dagger the leather becomes compacted which causes the dagger stop to become loosened. Such loosening is objectionable since the stop may fail to prevent overthrow of the dagger and thus there may be a failure to protect on the ensuing beat of the loom. Additionally, the prior art mode of securing the leather in position has been found to be objectionable since it has been necessary to remove the bolt employed to clamp the leather between the dagger stop and the lay each time replacement of the. leather was necessary. Usually this bolt was one employed in securing the lay beam to the lay sword, and its removal was a time consuming and expensive operation.

By this invention it is proposed to provide a dagger stop comprising means whereby any of several kinds of materials may readily be put into use thereon as cushioning material so that pressure created thereby on the dagger may be employed to complement the spring used to force the binder inwardly against the shuttle for checking the same. It has been found that using compressible materials of different characteristics when used singly or in combination on the dagger stop to receive the impact when stopping the dagger, makes it possible to run a loom designed for a certain number of picks, at a relatively higher number of picks. This may be done since in each case the normal clearance between the binder and dagger finger bolt may be done away with, and the resilience of the bumper or cushion material employed to apply a varying degree of back pressure on the dagger. This will, in addition to safely increasing the shuttle checking action of the binder, maintain the dagger in a stressed condition tending to immediately return the same toward protecting or loom stopping position when the shuttle is picked out of the shuttle box and the binder pivots inwardly releasing the dagger finger for movement. This action tends to prevent the dagger from dwelling in non-protecting position, commonly known as overthrow or failure to protect.

with this above in view it is an object of the invention to provide a device which will efiectively act as a dagger stop and which will not become loosened during use.

A further object is to reduce the amount of leather or like material necessary to equip a loom dagger stop with a bumper, thereby promoting economy of operation.

A further object is to provide easily disengageable means for securing the cushion portion to the dagger stop for easy replacement thereof, making it possible to readily substitute thereon,

' resilient shock absorbing materials having different characteristics of compressibility, whereby overthrow of the dagger is prevented and proper shuttle checking by the binders is made possible under varying conditions and speeds of loom operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide a dagger stop for looms which overcomes the hereinabove mentioned defects of previous dagger stops structures.

With the above and other objects which will become evident hereinafter in view, the invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one preferred embodiment of the invention in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a loom with the lay at front center position with a dagger stop according to the invention applied to the loom;

Fig. 2 is a view of parts shown in Fig. 1 but with the lay in back center position and with the dagger in operative protecting position, with a portion of the dagger stop broken away for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the improved dagger stop;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 1'VIV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing means for stressing the protector rod of a loom incorporating the invention.

The present invention is illustrated as embodied in a loom of conventional construction and only so much of the loom is shown as is necessary for a clear understanding of the present invention.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a portion of the left-hand loom side I of usual constructiori. The loom is provided with an oscillating lay beam 2 supporting a left hand shuttle box 3 and a right hand shuttle box (not shown). The shuttle box 3 is provided with a back box plate 4 and a binder 5 pivoted at its outer end .in conventional fashion and having a facing 6 of leather or other suitable material. The shuttle box is also provided with a front box plate I having a facing of friction material la, A lay end 8 is secured to the end of the lay beam 2 and forms the bottom wall of the shuttle box 3.

The lay beam 2 is mounted on a pair of swords, of which only the left-hand sword 9 is shown. The swords are mounted for movement on a conventional rocker shaft (not shown) extending between the loom sides in the conventional manner to support and permit rocking of the lay by the usual operating mechanism. Each of the swords carries a bearing member H1 in which the usual protector rod H is mounted. The protector rod II is provided with a dagger l2 having a forward free end portion |3 which is normally maintained by the conventional spring means Na in position to engage a frog steel M 4 mounted in the frog |5 which is connected to the usual loom stopping mechanism.

The dagger |2 is moved out of protecting position and into the position shown in Fig. 1 by the pivoted binder 5 which is swung outwardly of the shuttle box (to the left as seen in Fig. 1) when the shuttle I6 is substantially completely boxed. The inner free end of the binder 5 engages a dagger finger bolt adjustably secured in the upper end portion of a dagger finger l8 which is secured at its lower portion l9 to the rearward end of the dagger l2. Thus when the shuttle I6 is completely boxed the dagger |2 is swung in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, so that the forward end |3 of the dagger I2 is lifted sufficiently to clear the frog steel M as the lay moves forward. If the shuttle I6 is not properly boxed, the dagger |2 will not be swung sufliciently to cause its forward end l3 to clear the frog steel 4 and, consequently, the sliding frog l5 will be moved forwardly to operate the usual loom stopping mechanism and forward motion of the lay will be arrested. The parts thus far described are of usual construction and operate in the usual manner.

The shuttle 6 in high speed looms travels at a high rate of speed as it is picked from one shuttle box to the other. The shuttle engages the pivoted binder 5 as it enters the shuttle box 3 and the binder thus in swung rearwardly at a high rate of speed. The dagger I2 is thus rotated rapidly in a counter clockwise direction. In order to prevent otherthrow of the dagger |2 caused by inertia of the rotating parts, a dagger stop member 20 is bolted to the front surface of the lay beam 2 by a suitable bolt 2| extending through the lay. The dagger stop member 20 is provided with a cut out portion as at 22 (Fig. 4) to clear the flange 23 of the lay end 8 to avoid damage to or derangement of the lay end under repeated impacts received by stop member 20. The stop member 20, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is provided with an opening 24 having an inclined upper wall 25. The lower end of the stop member 20 which forms the lower end of the opening 24 is preferably cylindrical in shape and forms a stop abutment 26 against which the dagger I2 is stopped. The upper end of member 20 forms an attaching portion for attachment to the lay and is provided with an aperture 30 to accommodate bolt 2|.

The stop member 20 is provided with a resilient cushioning member 21 passing through opening 24 and secured to the inclined wall 25 of the stop member by a screw 28 engaged in a tapped hole 28a in the body of the member. The flexible member 21 is preferably formed of leather but may be made of other suitable impact resistant material such as rubber, synthetic resin, or fiber as desired. The lower end portion of the member or strap 21 is curved forwardly slightly under the stop abutment 26 so that it is interposed between the abutment and the dagger |2 at all times and thus forms an e fective cushion between stop abutment 26 and dagger l2 and thus prevents damage to the stop or to the dagger. The bolt 2| firmly clamps the stop member against the lay end 23 and when the nut 29 is tightened accidental displacement is prevented. The cushioning material is not interposed between stop member 20 and the lay beam, hence bolt 2| need not be removed for replacement thereof as heretofore has been necessary; and loosening of bolt 2| from vibratory compaction of the cushioning material is eliminated.

The leather strap or cushioning member 21 is mm KUUM flexed during each cycle of operation of the lay and does not escape the constricting influence of eithegthe-dagger stop member or the dagger l2 at any time except possibly for a short period during which the dagger I2 is in protecting position. Thetendency for the flexible member 21 to return to its normal shape aids in returning the dagger end l3 toward protecting position when the latter is bearing against the flexible strap 21 in extreme upper or inoperative position. As soon as shuttle I6 is picked out of a shuttle box and the binder pivots inwardly, releasing dagger 12 for travel toward frog steel engaging or loom stopping position, the resilience of the flexed strap 21 aids in moving the dagger toward said loom stopping position.

Stressing or bending of strap 21 by the dagger when the latter is raised to inoperative position is thus seen to cause the strap to tend to prevent dwelling of the dagger in that position and to aid in returning the dagger to protecting position.

The fastening of flexible member 21 to the inclined forward wall 25 of the stop member 20 by means of a screw 28 makes possible easy replacement or change of flexible member 21 when worn or when a change of cushioning material is desired, without disturbing the mounting means of any other parts.

It will from the above description be seen that I have provided a structure which fully achieves the objects of the invention and which obviates the abovementioned defects of the prior art devices.

Having described one preferred embodiment of my invention and without limiting myself to the particular disclosure set forth herein, I claim:

1. For a loom, a dagger stop comprising an attaching portion and a stop abutment, there being an aperture in said stop intermediate said portion and said abutment, and resilient means secured to said attaching portion at one face of the stop and extending through said aperture to the opposite face of the stop and freely beyond the extremity of the stop abutment.

2. For a loom, a dagger stop comprising an attaching portion and a stop abutment, there being an aperture in said stop intermediate said portion and said abutment, resilient means extending from one face of said portion through said aperture to the opposite face of the stop and freely beyond the extremity of the stop abutment, and readily disengageable means securing said resilient means to said attaching portion.

3. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box on said lay comprising a binder, and means for stopping said loom comprising a dagger co-acting with said binder; a dagger stop and means securing said dagger stop to said lay, said stop being provided with an aperture between its ends; a resilient member of compressible material extending from one face of said stop through said aperture and lying free between said c agger stop and said dagger for cushioning said'dagger stop against impact with said dagger; and readily detachable means securing said member to said one face of said stop, said last named means being readily detachable independently of the means securing the dagger stop to the lay.

4. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box on said lay and including a binder, means co-acting with said binder for stopping the loom and comprising a dagger and means tending to move the dagger into loom-stopping position, said binder operable to move the dagger from loom-stopping position to inoperative position; a dagger stop and means to secure the dagger stop to the lay, said dagger stop having an aperture from face to face between the ends thereof; a resilient strap extending from one face through said aperture to the other face of said stop and beyond to form a free-ended cushion between said dagger and said stop; and readily disengageable means securing one end of said strap to said one face of said stop.

5. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box on said lay comprising a binder, and means co-acting with said binder for stopping said loom comprising a dagger and means tending to move the dagger from an inoperative to a loom stopping position; a dagger stop limiting the degree of movement of said dagger toward inoperative position comprising a rigid member having an aperture extending from one face to an opposite face and between the ends thereof, said member being provided with an inclined recess at one of said faces leading to said aperture; a resilient cushion element fitting in said recess at one of its ends and extending through said aperture and lying free between said dagger and said stop at its other end; and readily detachable means securing said element at said one end to said member.

6. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box on the lay comprising a binder, and means co-acting with the binder for stopping the loom comprising a protector rod and dagger and means supporting the rod on the lay, the dagger being movable from a loom-stopping position to an inoperative position by action of the binder; the combination of a dagger stop, means securing the dagger stop on the lay to limit the extent of travel of the dagger toward inoperative position, said stop comprising a rigid member having an aperture therein; a flexible compressible strap; screw means threadably engaging said rigid member and securing the strap to one face thereof, .said strap extending through said aperture to the opposite face of the rigid member and therebeyond between the rigid member and the dagger in a stressed attitude for cushioning the impact of the dagger on the rigid member and tending to return the dagger to loomstopping position.

WALTER J. BUDZYNA.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Maurer Dec. 25, 1945 Number 

